Tiszabura needleworkers produced forty thousand accessories for the Wine Festival, sponsored by the Hungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta. Thanks to them, they now have permanent jobs, and can now work as tailors in the local sewing industry.
A unique tailor shop with unique seamstresses
The women of Tiszabura are incredibly proud that their products used in the Buda Castle and that what they sewed is of value in the capital - we were told by dr. Nándor Németh, the Regional Development Officer at the Hungarian Charity Service. He added that they are planning to bring the seamstresses to the Budapest Wine Festival so that they can see for themselves what exactly their cup holders were made for.
The Project
This isn't the first shared "project" of the Hungarian Charity Service and the Wine Festival. Last year, for example, the proceeds of the traditional Charity Wine Auction were given to Topház, a care home in Göd, to provide aid for two hundred severely disabled people living there. With the current cooperation, job creation and modernization have come to the fore, as one of the primary missions of the service is to help groups and communities living in social exclusion. Their "Presence" program assists families in the most impoverished villages in returning to work. A settlement is "alive" if there is sufficient work there to generate income - pointed out Nándor Németh.
Who made the cup holders?
Following site visits to Tiszaburan, it became clear to the Charity Service staff that besides creating jobs, they would also have to begin offering professional training opportunities to adults. Since many people live in the area, especially women, who, because of their family responsibilities, are unable learn a new profession or commute at the same time, end up with no chance of accepting work farther away or learning a new trade. In the end, two facilities were built, which, besides production, also serve as practical training grounds for professional development courses officially recognized by the state. This is how a sewing factory and woodworking joinery came to be in Tiszabura. The sewing shop was completed last year, and this is where the women who made the wine glass holders obtained their sewing qualifications in 2018.
The result
The Wine Festival order was the first significant job for the seamstress: it took months to make the forty thousand pieces, but it was perfect for the women who worked there to "test" themselves and their knowledge. Today, they are in good spirits waiting for the next orders to arrive - added Nándor Németh. Another small workshop did the tailoring of the cup holders in Páty, where the material was pre-cut. The plant manager, Irén Balla Gyuláné is also the quality inspector: a retired seamstress, and today one of the motors of the Tiszabura plant. She trained the seamstresses, who heeded her words, and taught them the value of impeccable quality.
Enjoy using this years' wine glass holders!
